Volkswagen Is Developing A Robotic EV Charging Station: Video

Sponsored Links

As automated devices assume an ever-expanding role in our daily lives, it’s possible – even probable – that the autonomous car is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg in terms of what robots will do for our transportation situations in the future.

That was apparent back when Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk announced the possibility of a “robotic, snake-like EV charging station,” and all-too-obvious now that Volkswagen has actually gone ahead and built one.

Website EVObsession shared this news, along with a video of the new Volkswagen “e-smartConnect” automated EV charging station in action. The automaker does note that rapidly charging an electric vehicle requires the usage of some very thick, stiff direct-current cables, which will pose some challenge to manipulation by robotic appendages like that shown here.

But whatever gauge of cable is used in this video demonstration, Volkswagen’s automated EV charging station seems to handle it with ease, achieving an almost startling level of accuracy and fluid, human-like motion.

Of course, hooking a DC cable up to one’s electric vehicle isn’t exactly hard work for a human, but the prospect of a robotic EV charging station starts to make a lot more sense when one recalls the self-driving capabilities achievable by Tesla Motors’ offerings, especially. EVObsession imagines a future wherein your car drops you off at a convenient location near an EV charging station – a restaurant, coffeeshop, etc. – and parks itself until there is a vacant stall.

At that point, the car drives itself up to the automated charging outlet, and refuels while you attend to your important future-business: buying and selling jetpacks, submitting your application to Cyberdyne, or what have you.

The future sounds pretty nifty, don’t you think?

Sponsored Links

— Aaron Birch

Aaron Birch is an automotive enthusiast and writer/filmmaker from Detroit, MI. As a rule, he only buys cars older than himself.